page_title: Cyclone Honorinina
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Honorinina / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleTDTS12345 English: Cyclone Honorinina (1986) track. Uses the color scheme from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
context_page_description: Cyclone Honorinina was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck eastern Madagascar in March 1986. The eighth named storm of the season, Honorinina formed on March 9 to the south of Diego Garcia. It moved generally to the west-southwest due to a ridge to the south, gradually intensifying. On March 12, the Météo France office on Réunion upgraded Honorinina to tropical cyclone status, which is the equivalent of a minimal hurricane. On the next day, the cyclone attained maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h while in the vicinity of Tromelin Island. Honorinina weakened subsequently before making landfall about 40 km north of Toamasina, Madagascar with winds of 135 km/h. The storm weakened further over land, moving southwestward across the country. It emerged into the Mozambique Channel and became extratropical on March 18. Honorinina turned to the southeast, dissipating on March 23.
  Early in its duration, the storm produced gusty winds along St. Brandon, and it later brought gusts of 158 km/h on Tromelin Island. However, effects were worst in Madagascar, especially in Toamasina near where the storm made landfall.
context_section_description: On March 8, a circulation was observed southeast of Diego Garcia and was undergoing tropical cyclogenesis. By the next day, satellite imagery indicated that a tropical storm had formed about 635 km (395 mi) south of the island, given the name Honorinina. On March 9, the Météo France office in Réunion (MFR) began tracking the storm in its database, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began classifying it as Tropical Cyclone 25S. The nascent tropical storm moved generally to the west-southwest, gradually intensifying. On March 11, the JTWC upgraded Honorinina to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane with 1 minute maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). On the next day, the MFR followed suit by upgrading the storm to tropical cyclone status while it was passing 175 km (110 mi) north of St. Brandon island.
  After a trough passed eastward, a ridge developed south of Honorinina, which reinforced the southwest track toward Madagascar. On March 13, the MFR estimated the cyclone attained peak 10 minute winds of 150 km/h (95 mph), while the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of 205 km/h (125 mph). The MFR also estimated the storm was producing gusts of 228 km/h (142 mph). While near peak intensity, Honorinina passed about 25 km (15 mph) south of Tromelin Island, and subsequently gradually weakened. On March 15, the cyclone made landfall on eastern Madagascar about 40 km (25 mi) north of Toamasina. Winds at landfall were estimated at 135 km/h (85 mph), and a barometric pressure of 971.2 mbar (28.68 inHg) was reported at Toamasina. It rapidly weakened to tropical depression status over land, and the JTWC discontinued advisories on March 16. The circulation continued southwestward through the island, emerging into the Mozambique Channel on the next day. Thereafter, Honorinina restrengthened slightly over open waters. However, the MFR declared the storm as extratropical on March 18, based on the satellite appearance. The JTWC again issued advisories on the next day, only to discontinue them on March 20. Meanwhile, the MFR tracked the cyclone as turning to the south and southeast well south of Madagascar. On March 22, Honorinina turned back to the south and dissipated within the westerlies.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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